Expanding mandrel



April 16, 1963 c. c. FLOYD, JR

EXPANDING MANDREL Filed June 2, 1961 llVVE/VTOR CHARLES C. FLOYD,JI'.

Attorney United States Patent 3,085,763 EXPANDING MANDREL (Dharles C. Floyd, 3n, Leechhurg, Pa assignor to United States Steel tlorporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed .Iune 2, 1961, Ser. No. 127,768 Z'Qlaims. (Cl. 24272.1)

This invention relates to an expanding mandrel and more particularly to such a mandrel of the type shown in Wingard Patent No. 2,920,837, dated January 12, 1960. The mandrel shown in the Wingard patent is used in winding strip, particularly steel strip under high tension, as it leavesthe last stand of a cold rolling mill. In the mandrel shown in the Wingard patent there are three segments taking up approximately 270 of the periphery thereof and a pair of co-operating segments taking up the remaining 90 of the periphery. The co-operating segments are separated so as to receive and grip the end of the strip therebetween. This mandrel has proved to be very successful when handling relatively heavy gauge. However, when rolling strip to No. 24 US. standard gaugeand lighter difficulties are encountered in obtaining a uniform product. The main difliculty is that the gauge varies along the length of the strip. I have found that the reason for this variation is that the gripping segments do not provide a uniformly curved outer surface so that there is an eccentrically shaped coil with a high spot being present at the position of the gripping segments. This high spot in the coil causes variable tension during coiling with the resultant variation in gauge along the length of the strip.

Another type of mandrel utilizes a belt wrapper without gripping the leading part of the strip. However, belt wrappers do not function as well with heavy strip as does a mandrel of the type described above. Furthermore the heavier material causes more rapid wear of the belt in the belt wrapper so that it must be replaced more often, this being an expensive item.

In some instances the strip, instead of being mounted directly on a mandrel, is mounted on a sleeve which in turn is mounted on a mandrel for coiling or uncoiling. When used for coiling in this manner a belt Wrapper may be used or the first several convolutions are wrapped by hand around the sleeve. Regardless of how the strip is wrapped I have found that the eccentricity of the Wingard mandrel results in a poor grip on the inside of the sleeve and also decreases the amount of useable travel between expanded and collapsed positions of the mandrel.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an expanding mandrel in which the gripping segments may be readily removed and replaced by a solid segment.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the mandrel in expanded position;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the line IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial section taken on the line III- III of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on the line IVIV of FIGURE 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a mandrel shaft having a journal portion 4 extending from one end thereof and which is rotatably mounted in roller bearings 6. The bearings 6- are carried in a housing 8 which is integral with a supporting frame, not shown. The journal portion 4 is coupled to a drive shaft and a motor drive, not shown. The shaft 2 is generally rectangular in shape and is provided with four slots 10 extending longitudinally along each corner "ice edge thereof. A Wedge bar 12 is positioned in each slot 10 and is secured to shaft 2 as best shown in FIGURE 1. The outer surface of each bar 12 has a saw tooth configuration. A Wedge bar 14 is positioned in each slot 10 and its inner surface has an inner saw toot configuration matching that of wedge bar 12. Outer surface 1 6 of each wedge bar 14 is convex with the center of the surface being on the axis of shaft 2. The sides of each wedge bar are beveled at 18 adjacent the curved surface 16. The shaft 2 has an axial opening 20 therethrough for receiving a mandrel expanding rod 22 which is secured near the'journal end 4 to reciprocating means, not shown. A spider 24 is secured to the outboard end of rod 22. The spider 24 has four radially extending arms 26, each having a circular pin portion 28 at the outer end thereof. Each of the wedge bars 14 has a blind hole 30 therein for receiving the associated pin portion 28. A cover plate 31, secured to shaft 2 in any suitable manner, may be provided to help keep dirt out of the moving parts of the mandrel. A longitudinal slot 32 is provided in each of three sides of the shaft 2 for receiving tongue *34 of a cylindrical segment 36 having the center of its outer surface substantially on the axis of shaft 2. Each of the segments 36 is secured to the shaft 2 by means of spaced apart shoulder bolts 38 mounted in counterbored holes 40 in segment 86 and threaded into holes 41 in shaft 2. A spring 42 surrounds bolt 38 with one end bearing against the head of the bolt and the other end bearing against a shoulder 44 on segment 36. Thus, the springs 42 urge the segments 36 inwardly against beveled surfaces 18. The bolt holes 40 are capped with plugs 46 which are made flush with the outer surface of segments '36. The fourth side of the shaft 2 has a longitudinal cylindrical slot 48 therein with a generally V-shaped groove 50' communicating therewith. The parts so far described are as shown in the Wingard patent with the slot 48 and groove 54) being provided to accommodate the strip gripping jaws of the Wingard patent.

According to my invention I provide a generally cylindrical adapter 52 having wings 54 thereon which fit in the slot 48 and groove 50 as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. A longitudinal slot 56 is provided in the adapter 52 and spaced apart radial threaded holes 58 are provided in the shaft 2 at the bottom of slot 56. A segment 6t), which is substantially identical to the segments 36, has its tongue 62 received in the longitudinal slot 56. Spaced counterbored holes 64 are provided in segment 60 with their axes in alignment with corresponding holes 58. A shoulder bolt 66 passes through each hole 64 and is threaded into corresponding hole 58 with a spring 68 surrounding the bolt 66. One end of spring 68 bears against the head of the bolt and the other end against shoulder 70 on segment 60.

In operation, when the rolling mill is set up to roll thin gauge material or when the strip is to be wound on or unwound from a sleeve, the strip gripping segments are removed and the adapter 52 slid into the slot 48. Segment 60 is secured in the adapter 52 and a belt wrapper, not shown, may be positioned adjacent thereto. When it is desired to expand the mandrel the rod 22 is moved to the right as shown in FIGURE 1, thus moving wedge bars 14 to the right with the opposed faces of the wedge blocks 12 and 14 causing the wedge bars 14 to move radially outwardly as well as axially. This causes the segments 36 and 60 to move outwardly against the pressure of springs 42 and 68. After a coil is formed and it is desired to collapse the mandrel the actuating rod 22 is moved to the left as shown in FIGURE 1, thus causing the spider 24 to move the Wedge bars 14 to the left. Movement of the wedge bars 14 to the left permits the springs 3 42 and 68 to move the segments 36 and 60 and the wedge bars 14 inwardly.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it Will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an expanding mandrel for Winding strip including a mandrel shaft rotatably supported adjacent one end, said shaft having a series of longitudinal extending radial slots therein, a series of arcuate segments arranged circumferentially on said mandrel shaft between and partially overlapping adjacent slots, an expanding member mounted in each slot having a series of longitudinally arranged outwardly facing wedge-like portions, 9. second expanding member mounted in each slot having a series of longitudinally arranged inwardly facing wedge-like portions, the said second expanding members being retained in said slots by the under surfaces of said overlapping arcuate segments, an actuator shaft extending through said mandrel shaft, and a spider secured to one end of said actuator shaft adapted to engage said second expanding members, said shaft having a longitudinal generally cylindrical slot therein between two of said segments and a generally V-shaped groove communicating with said slot, the improvement comprising an adapter shaped to be received in said generally cylindrical slot and V-shaped groove, said adapter having a longitudinal slot therein, an arcuate cylindrical segment received in said last named slot and partially overlapping said second expanding members adjacent thereto, said last named arcuate seg- 4 ment having spaced apart counterbored openings therein, a bolt in each of said last named counterbored openings threaded into said shaft, and a spring surrounding said bolt between the head of said bolt and the bottom of the counterbored portion of said counterbored opening.

2. In an expanding mandrel for winding strip including a mandrel shaft, a series of expanding Wedge means circumferentially arranged on said mandrel shaft, and a series of arcuate segments circumferentially arranged between said wedge means in overlapping contact therewith, said shaft having a longitudinal generally cylindrical slot therein between two of said segments and a generally V- shaped groove communicating with said slot, the improvement comprising an adapter shaped to be received in said generally cylindrical slot and V-shaped groove, said adapter having a longitudinal slot therein, an arcuate segment having a radial tongue received in said last named slot, said arcuate segment partially overlapping the expanding wedge means adjacent thereto, and means for holding said last named arcuate segment in said last named slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,837 Wingard Jan. 12, 1960 2,936,132 Tracy May 10, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 549,366 Canada Nov. 26, 1957 

2. IN AN EXPANDING MANDREL FOR WINDING STRIP INCLUDING A MANDREL SHAFT, A SERIES OF EXPANDING WEDGE MEANS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ARRANGED ON SAID MANDREL SHAFT, AND A SERIES OF ARCUATE SEGMENTS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID WEDGE MEANS IN OVERLAPPING CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID SHAFT HAVING A LONGITUDINAL GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SLOT THEREIN BETWEEN TWO OF SAID SEGMENTS AND A GENERALLY VSHAPED GROOVE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SLOT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN ADAPTER SHAPED TO BE RECEIVED IN SAID GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SLOT AND V-SHAPED GROOVE, SAID ADAPTER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT THEREIN, AN ARCUATE SEGMENT HAVING A RADIAL TONGUE RECEIVED IN SAID LAST NAMED SLOT, SAID ARCUATE SEGMENT PARTIALLY OVERLAPPING THE EXPANDING WEDGE MEANS ADJACENT THERETO, AND MEANS FOR 